BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 15. France has become a society where nothing left of Christianity, political scientist and Arabist, Research Fellow at the French National Center for Scientific Research François Burgat (CNRS) said, Trend reports.
Burgat made the remark at the panel session of the international conference themed “Islamophobia as a Specific Form of Racism and Discrimination: New Global and Transnational Challenges”.
He noted that another reason for Islamophobia in France is ‘French-style secularism’.
"French society is moving towards state Islamophobia. If 10 years ago a minor Muslim dispute would have been criminalized, now France criminalizes not actions, but thoughts. Even the views of Muslim citizens are criminalized by the French state," he added.
On March 15-16, the Baku International Multiculturalism Center (BIMC), the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) and the G20 Interfaith Forum are organizing an international conference dedicated to the International Day to Combat Islamophobia themed “Islamophobia as a Specific Form of Racism and Discrimination: New Global and Transnational Challenges”.
The main purpose of the conference is to provide for an academic discussion platform on the alarming trends targeting Muslims and Muslim-populated countries at international and national levels.
The conference, bringing together scientists, experts of international organizations, religious figures and representatives of non-governmental organizations from 32 countries, is featuring discussions on different approaches in the fight against Islamophobia, manifestation of Islamophobia in some European countries, Islamophobia in the international media.
15 March was designated as the “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” at the session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), held in Niamey, Niger, on November 27-28, 2020. In 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”.